The Potential for Acupuncture to Attenuate Hippocampal Apoptosis
Hana Marsheck
Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.
Yunsuk Koh
Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: To evaluate the potential for acupuncture to help mediate hippocampal apoptosis.
Study Design: Systematic Review.
Methodology: A search was conducted through PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science using the keywords “hippocampus,” “apoptosis” and “acupuncture” and found 37 qualified articles from January 2009 to March 2019.
Results: All of the qualifying studies reviewed strongly support that acupuncture decreases the incidence of hippocampal apoptosis.
Conclusion: It was clear that acupuncture can positively affect hippocampal apoptosis. The most frequently suggested mechanism was decreased BAX expression and increased BCL-2 expression, often in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, although it was only seen in about 1/3 of the studies reviewed. Future studies are needed to further investigate the exact mechanism associated with acupuncture in hippocampal apoptosis.
Keywords: Brain ischemia, BCL-2-associated X protein expression, B-cell lymphoma 2 expressions, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.